Who We Are

Parent Help is a Wellington based charity (CC10475) that has been offering services to families since 1989. We provide help with all parenting issues from the smallest to the most serious issue of child abuse. At the heart of Parent Help are the people who work, volunteer and support the organisation.

Our volunteers

Our Helpline is staffed by skilled and committed volunteers who offer their time, experience and knowledge to respond to the myriad of issues which parents are facing in today’s environment.

The Helpline would not be possible without their generous commitment to supporting families throughout New Zealand.

Our staff

The day-to-day management of Parent Help is undertaken by an amazing team dedicated to the well-being of children and families:

Our board

Current board members are:

Arti Chand (Chair)Lawyer, Arti Chand Tax Law

Arti is a lawyer who has operated her own specialist tax law practice since 2015. She has extensive tax consulting experience gained from working for a number of accounting firms for over a decade. She now provides tax advice for SME’s, high net worth clients, and a number of not for profit organisations.

Arti is also actively involved in the community. Prior to joining the board of Parent Held, she was a volunteer with Wellington Victim Support as a crisis call out volunteer and board member. And in 2016 she organised a successful fundraising event in support of Oxfam’s cyclone relief efforts in Fiji.

Arti holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics and Finance) from Victoria University of Wellington.

Arti became involved with Parent Help in 2015.

Douglas PaulingChair, The Treasure our Young Foundation

Doug was born in Gisborne growing up in Napier and Wellington, moved to Auckland in 1960 at the age of 15. Educated at Rongatai College and Mt Albert Grammar.

He moved to Hong Kong where he lived with his family for 13 years. On returning to New Zealand he started Air Affairs NZ Ltd in 1984 to service the New Zealand Defence Force..

Doug is well known across the New Zealand business community, and the defence industry in particular. He is a past Chairman of the Defence Industry Committee of New Zealand, and is one of a select few to be appointed an Honorary Captain by the RNZN in recognition of his tireless efforts to meet their requirements and his customer focus.

He is a trustee of the Toy Foundation and other affiliations include being Senior Member of the New Zealand Electronics Institute and a Member of the Institute of Directors.

Doug is married to Raewyn, resides in Auckland, they have two daughters, two granddaughters and two grandsons.

Nicola PaulingDirector, Voice Arts Trust

Nicola Pauling is an experienced group facilitator and the Artistic Director of Voice Arts (www.voice-arts.org.nz). She leads the development and delivery of projects that use participatory performance art to engage those who are marginalized, isolated or without a strong voice; projects that support people to tell their own stories in their own voice; projects that support social justice, wellbeing, personal and community development.

Nicola parents two children and is Chair of their school board and in her spare time performs regularly with the improvisation company Best on Tap.

Prithul Samara FischerRecruitment Consultant, Execucare

Samara joined the Parent Help Board in December 2017 and currently work as a Recruitment Consultant for Execucare, New Zealand’s only recruitment agency dedicated to the not for profit sector.

Originally from Australia, Samara has extensive work experience across the not for profit and government sectors in Indigenous Affairs, education, and gender equality.

She has a Bachelor of Arts (International Relations) and a Master of International Law from the Australian National University.